REFLECTIONS WHAT WILDLIFE NEEDS AND HOW Format: Paperback

In this informed, incisive and passionate commentary on the state of nature and conservation in the UK, Mark Avery reflects on our relationship with the wildlife around us. From the cats that pass through his garden to the chronic decline of farmland wildlife, from the Pasqueflowers he visits every spring to the proportion of national income devoted to saving nature – everything is connected, and everything is considered.

This book analyses what is wrong with certain ways we do wildlife conservation but explores some of its many successes too. How can we do better to restore wildlife to everybody’s lives? We know how to conserve species and habitats – it’s time to roll out conservation measures on a much bigger scale. This is a societal choice in which every nature lover can play their part. Reflections sets out what is needed, and what part the state, environmental charities and we as individuals can play in making that happen.

This highly personal work from a life embedded in and dedicated to nature does not shy away from the harsh realities we face, but its message, ultimately, is one of hope.

Dr Mark Avery is a senior UK conservationist with nearly four decades' experience of giving wildlife a better future. The author of numerous previous books, including Inglorious: Conflict in the Uplands (2015), Mark worked for the RSPB for 25 years before going freelance in 2011. He co-founded the campaigning organisation Wild Justice (with Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay) and was recently chair of the World Land Trust. He lives in rural Northamptonshire where he tries to grow tomatoes and to add bird species to his garden list - both with limited success. Twitter @markavery